6 Neck & Back Exercises to Improve Your Posture
Don’t neglect your neck and back when it comes to your strength training — it could be the key to better posture. If you’re feeling the strain from long hours of sitting or using your phone or computer, strengthening your neck and back can help improve your posture when you keep up with these exercises. Think about it like taking vitamins; keeping up with these moves every day is essential for counteracting this tension and keeping your spine healthy.
We asked Alo Moves fitness instructor and certified personal trainer Roxie Jones to show us a few exercises to improve our posture. This sequence can also be used as a warm-up before strength training to help improve your mobility and range of motion.
These exercises involve CARs, which stands for controlled articular rotations. CARs are active yet deliberate movements to help explore your range of motion and improve your joint health. “Mobility is all about control,” says Jones. “Anytime we’re doing mobility, you’ve got to have tension from the neck down so that you can control your range of motion.” Make sure you move slowly with intention and keep your body engaged to support each movement.
Before completing these posture exercises, you’ll need a yoga mat or blanket on the floor and a chair, couch, or bench.
Neck CARs
Start kneeling with a tall spine. Keep your gaze straight forward and tuck your chin to your collarbone. Sweep your chin over to your right shoulder, then look as far as you can out to the side. From there, tilt your head back diagonally, then sweep your chin forward and look to the opposite shoulder. Repeat in the same direction two more times, then switch sides. After completing three on each side, shake your head no and nod your head yes.
2. Neck Isometrics
Start in a kneeling position. Press your hand into the same side of your head, and your head into your hand. Keep your chin facing forward and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat one more time, then complete two sets on the other side. Shake your head no and nod your head yes.
3. Half Kneeling Thoracic CARs
This move will take your spine through its range of motion.
From Kneeling, step one leg in front of the other in a Low Lunge with your hips stacked on top of your back knee. Cross your arms in front of your chest and grab your shoulders. Curl your chest forward and keep tension throughout your body. Feel the stretch between your shoulder blades. Sweep your elbows across your front thigh and out to the side, tilt your upper body out to a side backbend, then bring it back to center. Move directly to the next pose.
4. Half Kneeling Twist
Staying in a kneeling position with arms crossed and one leg forward, lift your spine tall and twist to the same side as your front leg. Bring it back to center and complete two more twists to the same side. On the last rotation, hold it for a few breaths with your hands behind your head. Return to center and repeat exercise three and four on the other side.
5. Melting Heart Tricep Stretch
This move will stretch the side of your back and open up your thoracic spine.
Face a sturdy surface like a chair, bench, or firm couch in a kneeling position. Bring your elbows to the surface with your palms together, then press down into the bench with as much pressure as you can, sitting your hips to your heels. Hold for 10 seconds. Your forehead can rest gently on the surface.
After 10 seconds, stay in this position and hover your elbows over the surface for 10 more seconds. Run through this cycle of hovering and stretching two more times.
6. Figure 4 Stretch into Figure 4 Twist
This feel-good pose will stretch out your piriformis and glutes, which “may be contributing to tight lower back issues,” says Jones.
Lie down on the floor and press your lower back down. Cross one foot over the opposite thigh, interlace your fingers behind your thigh, and hug your legs into your chest. Hold for five seconds, then lower your bottom foot to the floor.
Tip: If you don’t have the mobility to have your top knee straight out to the side, gently press that knee forward with your same-side hand during the stretch.
From here, drop your top foot over to the side on the floor for a stretch in your quadratus lumborum muscle, which runs alongside your torso next to your erector spinae muscles that flank your vertebral column. Return to center and perform the twist two more times. Repeat on the other side.
Want to practice this sequence along with a class? Try the Better Posture: Neck & Back for free on Alo Moves with a two-week trial.
